Kevin Godfrey (footballer)

Kevin Godfrey

Personal information
Date of birth	(1960-02-24) 24 February 1960
Place of birth	Kennington, England
Position(s)	Winger, striker, central midfielder
Youth career
1976–1977	Leyton Orient
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1977–1988	Leyton Orient	285	(62)
1986	→ Plymouth Argyle (loan)	7	(1)
1988–1993	Brentford	140	(17)
1993–1994	Yeading
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kevin Godfrey is a retired English football winger who made over 540 career appearances, most notably in the Football League for Leyton Orient and Brentford.

Playing career

Leyton Orient

A winger, Godfrey came through the youth ranks at Division Two side Leyton Orient (then named "Orient") and signed a professional contract in March 1977. He made his debut during the 1977/78 season and finishing the campaign with a handful of appearances. Godfrey had to wait until the 1981/82 season to make a breakthrough, appearing in 42 league matches of a disastrous season which saw the Os relegated to Division Three. He found his best form between 1983 and 1985, making over 40 appearances over the course of three seasons and scoring 10 or more goals in each. Now playing in Division Four after another relegation, Godfrey fell out of favour during the 1985/86 season, making just 16 appearances, but he regained his place in the following campaign, making another 70 appearances before departing at the end of the 1987/88 season. Godfrey made 343 appearances and scored 72 goals during his 11 years at Brisbane Road. In recognition of his service, Godfrey was awarded a testimonial in August 1987.

Plymouth Argyle (loan)

Godfrey joined Division Three high-flyers Plymouth Argyle on loan in March 1986. His seven appearances brought about a positive reaction to the side's dip in form and he scored one goal during his spell, a late winner against Bristol Rovers.

Brentford

Godfrey joined Division Three side Brentford in the summer of 1988, initially to get fit, but he became a regular member in the side after strikers Gary Blissett, Richard Cadette and Neil Smillie went down with injuries. He again deputised for Blissett in the early part of the 1989/90 season, before moving back to the wing to cover for the injured Eddie May. Godfrey's best season with Brentford came in 1990/91, when he made 32 league appearances and scored four goals, including one against Tranmere Rovers in the Bees' unsuccessful 1991 Division Three playoff campaign. He won the first silverware of his career in Brentford's historic 1991/92 campaign, in which they won the Division Three title. Godfrey made many of his 31 appearances as a central midfielder, excelling. Aged 32 and playing in the second-tier for the first time since 1982, Godfrey made 21 appearances during the 1992/93 season and scoring a last-minute goal versus Swindon Town in the preliminary round of the Anglo-Italian Cup. With the Bees relegated back to the third-tier at the first time of asking, Godfrey was released in the summer of 1993. He made 191 appearances and scored 26 goals during his five years at Griffin Park.

Yeading

Godfrey saw out his career with a spell at Isthmian League Premier Division side Yeading during the 1993/94 season.

Personal life

After retiring from football, Godfrey became a taxi driver in West London and later worked for security delivery company.

Honours

As a player

Brentford

• Football League Division Three (1): 1991/92